01/18/10 Note To Greenwich Resident Jim Himes: Debicella Fundraising Tops $230,000

Raises $120,500 in Q4, with $220,000 cash-on-hand

State Senator Dan Debicella reported today that he has raised $230,500 in his campaign for Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth District, with $219,938 in cash-on-hand as of December 31.
“Fairfield County is not happy with Jim Himes and Washington’s out-of-control spending,” said Senator Debicella. “Middle class families want common sense answers on job creation and healthcare, rather than the Jim Himes answer—massive government spending and interference in the economy and our lives.”

Debicella noted that over 500 donors had given since he began fundraising four months ago, and said his campaign has passed the $250,000 fundraising mark in January. “People are frustrated with the direction Washington is taking our country,” said Debicella. “Instead, they are excited about our proposals to replace the stimulus package with a payroll tax cut, eliminate the budget deficit through a new federal spending cap, and reform healthcare by reducing costs rather than expanding government control.”

Debicella is a second-term Republican State Senator representing the eastern part of Fairfield County, including Shelton, Stratford, Monroe, and Seymour. He is a lifelong resident of Fairfield County, and grew up in Bridgeport where his father was a police officer. He was the first in his family to go to college, attending the Wharton School and receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has spent most of his career in business, having worked for management consulting firm McKinsey in Stamford, as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo in Purchase, NY, and as Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services.

Debicella’s fundraising numbers come on top of over forty endorsements he has received from nearly every town in the district. Mayors, First Selectmen, state legislators, and Republican Party officials have all endorsed his candidacy. Additionally, the Redding Republican Town Committee recently announced its endorsement of Debicella.

Debicella is one of approximately forty “Young Gun” candidates for the GOP nationwide. These are the candidates that the GOP believes are the most likely to defeat incumbent Democratic Congressman.
“Republicans need to be unified to defeat Jim Himes in November,” Debicella said. “Our strong fundraising has made me one of the top challengers nationwide, and reinforces that I am the most credible Republican candidate against Jim Himes.”

The Fourth Congressional District comprises most of Fairfield County, including seventeen towns from Greenwich in the west, to Shelton in the east, and Ridgefield in the north. The seat was held by Congressman Christopher Shays from 1987-2009.